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Picking an in-form British & Irish Lions XV 1 month out from squad reveal
By Ian Cameron
A month out from the British & Irish Lions squad reveal and the tour selection subplot continues to simmer as both domestic and European seasons hurtle towards their respective conclusions.
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Injuries have changed the picture. Players who might have been left behind now have an opportunity to make a case for inclusion on the plane for Australia.
Here’s our ‘form’ British & Irish Lions XV, with a heavy bias in favour of recent Six Nations, domestic and European player performances. Some big names have been pipped at the post, while others have marched back into contention on a wave of form.
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1. Andrew Porter (Leinster)
Both the Six Nations and Europe have been a strong stage for Porter. He sees off Pierre Schoeman and Ellis Genge due to his superior set-piece stability and influence around the park, combined with an improbable work rate given his 122kg frame. Nearly all of Leinster’s travails in the scrum have come on the tighthead.
2. Dan Sheehan (Leinster)
The odd botched lineout aside, the Leinsterman is the best hooker in the game. He bosses contact in open play and has a scoring strike rate that’d make most wingers proud. Dewi Lake, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Theo Dan are part of the conversation, yes, but Sheehan’s all-court game remains unmatched in this neck of the woods.
3. Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors)
Zander’s scrummaging has been imposing in the URC and he has bags of grunt in contact. An old-school tighthead, he edges the more dynamic Tadhg Furlong, who remains on the comeback trail and still in search of his best form. The Scottish tighthead’s discipline has improved and he’s worked his socks off in key club fixtures.
4. Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Itoje is a no-brainer now that he’s started to find his best form once again for club and country. Big Joe McCarthy has been good for Leinster, as has Dafydd Jenkins for an admittedly abysmal Wales, but Itoje’s recent performances make this an easy call.
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5. Tadhg Beirne (Munster)
Beirne’s breakdown craft as a second-row is second to none. The Munster man beats off the likes of Ollie Chessum, George Martin and fellow Irishman James Ryan, who have staked claims, but Beirne’s impact in Europe cements his place.
6. Jack Willis (Toulouse)
Willis stands tall for Toulouse in Europe. His immense performance against Sale Sharks yesterday, opposite the Curry brothers, has all but cemented his place on the plane. He’s performing steadily in the Top 14 too. Tom Curry is a true force, while Jack Conan and Courtney Lawes might deserve a mention, but Willis edges them all at the moment.
7. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)
Pollock has been a breakout star in 2025. His swashbuckling and brash approach to the game have impressed all year, but it’s his ability to break open games and defences with unbelievable pace that catches the eye. He pips Josh van der Flier, who was superb against Harlequins, and Ospreys captain Jac Morgan.
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8. Caelan Doris (Leinster)
Doris remains the heartbeat of the Leinster pack. He sees off Saracens duo Ben Earl and Tom Willis thanks to tireless carrying, a knack for scoring and his ability to dominate the contact zone. Domestically and in Europe, Doris has been huge.
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster)
Gibson-Park offers electric tempo and crisp service and is probably the world’s second-best scrum-half behind Antoine Dupont. Tomos Williams has been excellent for Gloucester, but JGP’s leadership and offloading skills tilt selection his way.
10. Finn Russell (Bath)
Maybe the hardest position to call. Russell’s vision and swagger have lit up Bath’s recent Premiership run. He just about edges the excellent Fin Smith (his closest contender) and leaves Marcus Smith, Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast in his rear-view.
11. James Lowe (Leinster)
When opposition sides and fans start to hate you, you know you’re doing something right. Lowe’s left boot is a potent defensive weapon; he consistently beats defenders and is in the habit of creating tries. His powerful finishing stood out in Europe (a brace against Harlequins on Saturday) and, with Duhan van der Merwe carrying an ankle injury picked up against the Dragons in the URC, Lowe is a shoo-in.
12. Tom Jordan (Glasgow Warriors)
A controversial pick, maybe. Jordan has excelled in Glasgow’s ecosystem and offers the Lions a second kicking option at 12. With Sione Tuipulotu sidelined—and Robbie Henshaw and Bundee Aki in decent but non-earth-shattering form—Jordan is arguably the form inside centre at Andy Farrell’s disposal.
13. Garry Ringrose (Leinster)
At 30 years of age, this is almost certainly Ringrose’s last shot at a Lions tour, and it feels like his year. He orchestrates Leinster’s defensive line and has been putting in some thunderous hits of late. With Ollie Lawrence out with an Achilles injury and Huw Jones not having played since the Six Nations, Ringrose feels like the right choice at 13 on current form.
14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
Freeman has soared in both Saints and England colours and his hat-trick against Castres on Friday night feels like a real statement of intent. He beats Darcy Graham and Tom Roebuck to the 14 jersey.
15. Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse)
Kinghorn has been a revelation for the French giants. He’s injecting pace from the back and offering a playmaking outlet in attack. With Hugo Keenan not quite hitting the heights for Leinster and Ireland this season, and the ageing Liam Williams not having played since facing France in the Six Nations, Kinghorn’s selection feels like a total no-brainer.
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I can't see Jordan, or Pollack starting, but be great to see them in the squad.
Seems like this whole article was an excuse to put Pollock and Willis in a Lions backrow together. I don't think Pollock will even go on tour. He's already a great player and he's only going to get better but who are you leaving out to take him?
If Pollock and Willis are 2 of the 4 specialist flankers, for arguments sake let's say JVDF and Tom Curry are the others… so you're leaving potentially Ben Curry, Ben Earl and Jac Morgan at home but taking a kid with 1 cap off the bench? I really don't see it. Even if they find room for 5 flankers with Earl going as a hybrid you're leaving Jac Morgan and Ben Curry… and the fact that Jac Morgan is very likely to be picked so Wales have 1 or 2 players on the tour makes this even less likely. Imagine Farrell taking 4 English flankers including a kid with 30 mins test experience over Wales’ best player leaving them with potentially zero tourists. Plaid Cymru would be demanding a referendum! Pollock is the kind of kid who you'd take a punt on to be a Lions bolter in another cycle where there wasn't already a raft of world class, test hardened flankers to choose from. This time round his only realistic chance is an injury call up.
Yeah, Farrell will go with the tried and tested. Not the up and comers. To many good back row options to choose from.
I’m a huge fan of Pollock. The hype is real. Apart from this hype, which is extremely silly.
He’s a long way off being a Lions test starter.
Do you remember Webster? Dai Young? Will Greenwood?